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Show ii(lLII I GEORGE 'DEFEHDSHIMSELF mHer of Junior Republic gclares Innocence of the Charges Against Him, LIFE AN OPEN BOOK jts That Scandal Is the Re-h Re-h suit of a Difference of k'. Opinion. ( NEW YOBTv, Dec. 19. To radical igifferencea of opinion botween two iicitile factions, William It. George at-tnT)Qcd at-tnT)Qcd this afternoon the recent rec-loinaiendation rec-loinaiendation of the stato board of aritios that ho bo relieved from all letive participation in tho affaira of 6 George Junior republic at Frooville, 'tf, Y., founded by him moro than ten jMrs ago. Mr. Goorgo assorted his in-"noteace in-"noteace of all tho charges made against VIt is maddening," ho said, "nftcr luring established in tho world a reputation rep-utation for good character and Bervice jo have my name dragged in tho mire t a debaucher of TvomanhoocL Those mo know me need no reassurance mom wo that I am perfectly innocent, fat mv tortures begin in earnost when 1 think of the tens of thousands of eople to whom I have spoken on public platforms and that they might be eay-g, eay-g, 'It is true after all that Daddy Geonjo 5b a lying hypocrito and villain, in disguise.' Difference of Opinion. "The seed of the whole trouble is I'rsdical difference of opinion between jiro, hostile camps those who believe it the self-govorning principles of the fiinior republic as the best means for training boys and girls for good citi-lensMp citi-lensMp and thoso who boliovo in paternalism pa-ternalism and disciplino from above iad institutional methods. "2ftw what about this miserable ihiffJ, A G-year-old charge, long ago bVestigatod and discredited, ovon re-idiated re-idiated at one time by the one rnak-og rnak-og it, has been dragged out with. tho Idea of discrediting mo. 'Finally, in 1912, at mv insistence ilics appointed a joint committee to Ktigate everything about mo from birth. My entire life has been one eexual puritj'. as certain detectives are found to their chagrin. Board Did Not Wait. V f"AU my lifo has been spont in Freo-tjilia Freo-tjilia and Now York City, and every lit-Bto lit-Bto nook and cranny of my oxistenco ma been combed in vain. This committee, com-mittee, in order to scttlo this thing once for all, secured as judges Joseph H. Choate, Samuel Seabury and Miss Iillian Wald to read all the testimony Ma give a verdict. Tho committee has speat months in going over my entiro life. ' "We were ofl led to believe that tho Itato board would take no action until un-til tho committee headed by Mr. Choate .reported. Thon suddenly and without TOnung tho stato board gives rat a report carefully convicting mo by gmuendo, though not in so many words. This seems to me to have been done in So flffort thoroughly to discredit mo Ma my associates in the work for fear L.Bhall be vindicated by the official hyostigation coinmittoo which has gono pintiinately into my whole life and K wholo work. PjijI want to say right here to my (nencts and supporters that the repub-Ncanse repub-Ncanse will continue just as it has in tho past. It will weather this effort ef-fort to ruin it, just as it has woath-ercd woath-ercd similar though less spectacular efforts ef-forts in the pa6t. Its causo is a -just and righteous one and around it is a group of earnest souls who aro ready to live for it and die for it." |